DEPECHE MODE - THE SINGLES 1981 TO 2021 PART 56: COVER ME

 

The third and final single from Spirit was the best of the three released from the album, the Dave, Christian and Peter written Cover Me.

By the time the single was released, the song had already become a standout track on the Global Spirit Tour, despite Dave's "WILL YA?" part every night somewhat interrupting the mood.  So with that in mind, WILL YA join me on a look at Cover Me?

WAY UP HERE IN THE NORTHERN LIGHTS - COVER ME

The Single

Cover Me was released on 6th October 2017 and, in a surprise move, the digital and physical formats were released on the same day. Oddly, this meant we got our hands on the 12" and CD only a month after we'd grabbed the Going Backwards releases. Being a Depeche Mode fan is never a cheap experience.

Cover Me had received quite a lot of attention when Spirit was reviewed. The Guardian said:

"...(T)he fantastic Cover Me, the latter a lone crack of light amid the otherwise consuming darkness: it slowly builds up to a finale that takes up half the song, is entirely instrumental and based around a simple analogue synth arpeggio."

Clash Music loved the song too:

"Cover Me is one of those redemptive songs that Depeche Mode are so good at, with that slow climb out of misery toward some sort of anguished optimism. The track includes an extended analogue middle section that feels like the coda from Violator’s Clean’expanded into a full song. It's reverential, but fresh at the same time."

Even Pitchfork approved:

"On Cover Me, Gore’s haunting Lanois-esque guitar twang allows you to close your eyes and picture yourself under the Northern lights Gahan sings about."

Finally, the Quietus summed the track up nicely:

"Another twisted ballad that’s ushered in by sweeping and sustained chords. The bass pulses like a heartbeat and the beats increase incrementally yet the pace remains measured and steady. But just as you think you’ve got a handle on things, everything gets bigger – more beats, more glacial sweeps and rhythms that suggest a re-acquaintance with Kraftwerk’s ‘Autobahn’ - except the tempo."

Good reviews all round really which was nice to see. The band even decided to actively promote the single which was about the first time they'd done that sort of thing since Peter's Pop Show in 1989 (hmmm - really?). They appeared on Jimmy Kimmel Live on 4th October 2017 and played a live version of the Radio Edit of the song:

That's really rather lovely. I like that edit with the vocal coming back in again. The live set up is in place for this performance with Christian on mercifully subtle drums and Peter caressing his keyboards as only he can. Martin bobs around looking cool because, well. because he's Martin Gore and Fletch bobs his head about at times like Stevie Wonder, Fletching his keyboards for the full song. Dave, a man who has spent the preceding 5 months prowling stadium stages wanders around like a caged tiger albeit one wearing a nifty suit and sporting a pencil moustache and what appear to be fangs. He's on Global Spirit Tour mode and though he doesn't give it the traditional "WILL YA?" he does try to get the audience clapping along. Stadium is as stadium does.

Cover Me is a bloody marvellous song and sounds more like Depeche Mode than the rest of Sprit does if you see what I mean. It's Dave's finest Depeche track for me, just edging out Suffer Well and Nothing's Impossible. It was played at all 130 Global Spirit Tour gigs and rightly so. It's accompanying film, also of course the video for the song, was great. All in all, a superb song, a great live moment and if it is the last Depeche Mode single that we ever get, not a bad one to end on. Before you all write in, I have no idea if it will be the last single - let's hope not eh?

It didn't chart in the UK of course. Why on earth would it do that? It did get to number 3 in Poland however and number 35 in Hungary.

The Video

The video/film for the live shows was filmed in Venice Beach in October 2016 around the same time as the Where's The Revolution video.

Not much happens so there's not much to review but it is an oddly watchable video featuring only Dave as he wanders around in his spacesuit reminiscing about the days he ruled space. As it's Anton, it's naturally in black and white, but that suits the mood of the song nicely.

What a way to end the final video review eh? No cocktails, no spacehoppers, no Martin's nipples, no big hair and no voodoo monsters in a field. Sometimes less is more I suppose.

The Formats

The first of two formats was a CD single. It's a 55 minute, eight track release.

The tracks are:

1. Cover Me (Radio Edit) - lovely

2. Cover Me (Warpaint Steez Remix) - this is a decent remix by Warpaint. They supported the band on the tour and were part of the Facebook takeover. I asked them the question "What Depeche Mode song would you choose to cover?" They answered with an eyeroll and lots of other people started piling in which I thought was harsh. I went back on to defend myself and unmuted my speakers only to be greeted by Warpaint's cover of World In My Eyes playing on the Facebook page. Silly arse.

3. Cover Me (Erol Alkan Black Out Rework) - an initially sparse mix that builds into something rather enjoyable

4. Cover Me (Texas Gentlemen Remix) - This sort of works but has something about it that is quite annoying

5. Cover Me (Ellen Allien U.F.O. RMX) - The first of two clubbier (God I am old) remixes. It's the best of the two

6. Cover Me (Ben Pearce Remix) - the second of the clubby (stop it ffs) remixes and the weakest track here.

7. Cover Me (Josh T. Pearson Choose Hellth Remix) - this is tremendous. I'm a big Josh T Pearson fan and he covers Cover Me in his own unique style, adding parts of the Depeche song to wonderful effect. A cracker.

8. So Much Love (Kalli Remix) - a noisy, hugely enjoyable mix of this noisy, hugely enjoyable song. It would have made a decent single I think.

The 12" was another double 12" featuring a host of remixes. Sides A and C are pictured above.

And there are Sides B and D.  The tracklisting is:

Side A:

1. Cover Me (Ellen Allien U.F.O. RMX)

2. Cover Me (I Hate Models Cold Lights Remix) - This is pretty long but pretty good

Side B:

1. Cover Me (Nicole Moudaber Remix) - Another interesting remix that gets more interesting as it goes along

2. So Much Love (Kalli Remix)

Side C:

1. Cover Me (Erol Alkan White Light Rework) - as enjoyable as his remix on the CD

2. Cover Me (Texas Gentlemen Remix)

Side D:

1. Cover Me (Warpaint Steez Remix)

2. Cover Me (Josh T. Pearson Choose Hellth Remix)

And that was that. Cover Me came out, the Global Spirit Tour rumbled on for another 9 months and we got no more singles. The band ended the tour spectacularly and then headed off to hibernation.

Will we see another Depeche Mode single? Will we see them tour again? At this point, only Depeche Mode know. 

For forty years they have thrilled millions of us and have blazed a unique trail in the music world which will see their music stand the test of time. A number of their albums are rightly lauded as landmarks in music but their singles deserve recognition too. As we've seen throughout this series, they're not a bad singles band are they?

Let's hope I get to do Part 57 sometime soon. In the meantime, look out for a post in the next few days that contains links to all 56 parts of this series.

DEPECHE MODE - THE SINGLES 1981 TO 2021 PART 55: GOING BACKWARDS

 

The second single from Spirit was the album's opening track Going Backwards. The song was released digitally and then on two physical formats later on.

As with Where's The Revolution, we got plenty of remixes and we also got a rather enjoyable video. Here's the story of the single.

WE FEEL NOTHING INSIDE - GOING BACKWARDS

The Single

Going Backwards was released digitally on 23rd June 2017 as the Global Spirit Tour was getting into its swing in European stadiums. Physical formats, more of which below, would follow in September 2017 which really does seem a curiously long gap between the two types of release.

The song was one that grabbed a lot of attention when Spirit was released with its lyrics being held up as examples of the band's revived political feel following on from Where's The Revolution. 

The Quietus said:

"A mid-tempo, two-chord opener, the track’s ominous overtones and sense of dread are given weight, as Dave Gahan intones, “We have no respect/ We have lost control.” As an opening gambit, it certainly sets the tone for what’s to come from Spirit’s remaining eleven tracks. As the song slowly begins to unfurl, the bass drum kicks in followed by the snare as a skittering riff zig-zags its way over the top. “We’re going backwards,” sings Gahan, his voice portentous and devoid of mirth or joy, “to a caveman mentality” before uttering the coda over and over again, “We feel nothing inside."

Clash Music felt the song set the tone for what was to come on the album:

"From the off, with the edgy, slow-building opener ‘Going Backwards’ – with its trademark bass-heavy rhythms and edgy, nagging melody befitting of a classic Depeche Mode set piece – it's clear that ‘Spirit’ is going to be a challenging listen"

Mixmag loved the song:

"This album gets off to a barnstorming start. Going Backwards (is) among the most anthemic things Depeche Mode have done this century, apocalyptic both in sound and lyrics and perfect for these dark times."

Overall then, Going Backwards was positively received. By this point in their career of course, chart hits in Britain were beneath Depeche Mode, so the single didn't bother the charts here. It did reach number 37 in the US Hot Rock & Alternative Songs chart though. Hot rock indeed.

Going Backwards is a cracking song and was a great start to both the album and the live shows on the Global Spirit Tour. It was good to see Martin on spiky lyrical form and the song packed a punch Depeche Mode had been missing for a while. It was played at all 130 gigs on the Global Spirit Tour and was last heard in Berlin on 25th July 2018.

The Video

The video for the song was filmed at the band's Highline Session in New York in August 2016 and was directed by Timothy Saccenti. The additional musicians you see bobbing around are Kurt Uenala and Matrixxman.

It's an enjoyable enough take on the song and it's interesting to hear a live version without live drums. Dave growls along with his tour pencil moustache in full bloom, Martin does his Martin thing and Fletch is as lovably Flecthlike as ever. There are moody, arty shots of the band too and, beyond that, there's not a great deal to say about it. If only they could have made it fancier somehow. Wait a minute....

Look at that. It's a fancy 360 degree version of the video. You can use the controller on the screen to watch whatever you want in the video. Fancy 5 and a bit minutes of hot Fletch action? Help yourself. Want to watch Dave and nothing but Dave? On you go. Do you want to keep an eye on Matrixxman? Carry on, but you do know Depeche Mode are in the same room too don't you?

It may seem odd that a song bemoaning people being "armed with new technology" used, that's right, new technology to film its video but it's an interesting watch. Compared to the horror shows of the Sounds Of The Universe videos, it's a bloody masterpiece.

The Formats

There were once again only two official formats - a CD single and a double 12". The CD single is pictured above.

On the back we see the Mode boys dressed for the cold weather. There are eight tracks on the CD. They are:

1. Going Backwards (Radio Edit) - funnily enough, an edited version of the album track

2. Going Backwards (Chris Liebing Mix) - an enjoyable near nine minute remix by a big Depeche Mode fan.

3. Going Backwards (Solomun Extended Radio Mix) - it's ok I suppose though it doesn't do much and then gets a bit silly at the end

4. Going Backwards (The Belleville Three Full Vocal Mix) - one for what I believe the kids call the clubs. 

5. Going Backwards (Point Point Remix) - clever stuff this really. It's a bit like Leave In Silence (Quieter) in many ways and that is no bad thing.

6. Going Backwards (Chris Liebing Burn Slow Remix) - enjoyable again

7. Going Backwards (Maya Jane Coles Remix) - something a bit different again and rather pleasant

8. Poison Heart (Soulsavers Re-Work) - you imagine that this is how Dave wanted the song to sound all along.

The double vinyl 12" comes in a sleeve with a bigger opening that normal to accomodate both records. Sides A and C (above) have a D on them.

Sides B and D have an M on them as keen eyed readers have already spotted. There are 7 tracks in all here:

Side A:

1. Going Backwards (Chris Liebing Mix)

Side B:

1. Going Backwards (Solomun Club Remix) - fairly bland really

2. Going Backwards (The Belleville Three Deep Bass Dub) - again, relatively bland

Side C:

1. Going Backwards (Chris Liebing Burn Slow Remix)

2. Going Backwards (Point Point Remix)

Side D:

1. You Move (Latroit Remix) - hooray! a remix of an album track. Booo! It's not very good

2. Poison Heart (Soulsavers Re-Work)

All of the remixes on both formats were available digitally. The digital release added three remixes of Going Backwards: Solomun Radio Remix, The Belleville Three Raw Detroit Dub and The Belleville Three Full Vocal Radio Edit. I have no idea what any of them sound like so I have failed you all.

Finally, there was a one track CD-R promo in the UK and that was that. Even Taiwan didn't bother this time round.

Going Backwards was an interesting choice for a single as it wasn't necessarily the most obvious Spirit track for release but it was punchy enough song. As I mentioned earlier, it was a good album and gig opener and I have a lot of time for the song.

There was one more single to come and, as was now tradition, it would be a Dave written song. The last single from Spirit and indeed the last single in this review project is a cracking song. I'll Cover that (ha ha etc) next time.

DEPECHE MODE - THE SINGLES 1981 TO 2021 PART 54: WHERE'S THE REVOLUTION

 

It had been more than three and a half years since we last heard from Depeche Mode when their comeback was announced. Their return with a new album Spirit was said to see a return to the political themes of Construction Time Again and lead single Where's The Revolution seemed to fit that theme perfectly.

With this single, we got a boatload of remixes, snazzy beards and a brief return for the Basildon Boyzone with their snazzy train dance. Let's get on board Where's The Revolution.

THE TRAIN IS COMING - WHERE'S THE REVOLUTION

The Single

Where's The Revolution was released digitally on 3rd February 2017 having been premiered at midnight that day on Polish radio station Trojka. Remixes of the song and the two physical formats would follow in March and April.

Of Where's The Revolution, The Guardian said it "attempts to turn their ability to rouse stadiums with sleazily paced anthemics into a galvanising force: “Come on people, you’re letting me down,” complains the chorus, while elsewhere the lyrics borrow from the Impressions’ People Get Ready." 

Pitchfork were fairly positive about the track:

"Depeche Mode deliver anthems with such proficiency that sincerity barely matters. A song like “Where’s the Revolution” makes you feel like singing in response to today’s headlines. Depeche Mode still make universal, stadium-sized music that’s limber enough to fit through your bedroom doorframe, as if it had been conceived with your life in mind."

Mixmag said the song was "among the most anthemic things Depeche Mode have done this century, apocalyptic both in sound and lyrics and perfect for these dark times."

Finally, Consequence said:

"Lead single “Where’s the Revolution?” has a appealing, nasty slap to the music but gets stuck on its title, tut-tutting the global community (“C’mon people you’re letting me down”) and then urging us to get on board the train"

Relatively favourable overall really. Most reviews of Spirit tended to be positive and Where's The Revolution certainly grabbed people's attention. 

Photo by Alex Pollock from his Depeche Mode Facebook Takeover day

The band appeared on Swedish TV show Skavlan on 31st March and treated us to a live performance of the song:

This gave us a preview of what was to come on the Global Spirit tour with Dave slinking all over the place proudly showing off his new pencil moustache. Martin bobs around looking as cool as he has done in years and Fletch shows us that four years away from the keyboards haven't diminished his Fletching one bit. Peter is there of course too and Christian still sounds like a man with far too many tom toms. A decent performance though and it was great to see them back. 

The promo work was restricted to a few appearances like the one above and another on novelty pork pie in a suit J**** C*****'s bewilderingly popular show. It also featured on the pre tour gigs such as the one that shall forever be known as The Greatest Gig Of All Time Ever at the Barrowlands in Glasgow. Have I ever mentioned I was there?  The song didn't chart in the UK but did make number 76 in the official Scottish charts which genuinely seem to be a thing. The ever Depeche thirsty Hungarians fired the song to number 3 in their charts, it's best global performance chart wise.

Where's The Revolution is a good track and I was excited by it when it came out. it was good to have the band return on spiky form rather than in Heaven mode and only a year after the twin horrors of the disastrous Brexit vote and the rise of Trump, having Depeche Mode lead the revolution seemed no bad thing at all. 

The one thing that let the song down was its live performance really. Despite the bespoke film and Dave's dance from the second floor of the song didn't ignite and tended to slow gigs down a little. It featured 114 times on the tour proper, giving way for some of the later festival dates but returning for the last two nights in Berlin. It was last heard on 25th July 2018 and I don't imagine we'll hear it again.

The Video

This was novel - a Depeche Mode video that actually featured Depeche Mode. Anton returned and brought the band back with him too to decent effect.

After the Delta Machine tour concluded, the band vowed that they wouldn't shave again until they next met up, imagining that they'd be back together soon. That proved an unwise decision however and, as the video opens, we find them all with three years beard growth. If that wasn't enough to make them angry, they also find out that, having bid in secret against each other on Alan's auction, they'd all bought the old tour t-shirts and acetates. Furious with themselves, they shake their fists and start pushing the box of Wilder goodies away, out of harm's reach.

News of this purchase had reached Depeche Mode collectors though and that was bad thing. The Black Swarm summoned its best team of Wilder fanatics and these black clad collectors desperate for anything Alan Wilder might have touched come after the band. Curiously, they choose to do so, slowly and in a curious dance formation. Still, those It's Called A Heart acetates will not be destroyed.

Depeche take this threat seriously. The only way to talk these fans of big hair and leather down is to have a shave for the first time since 2014 and for Dave to preach to them with Martin and Fletch standing guard. Dave will turn them back. "No-one actually wants or needs acetates for God's sake. Go away," he (possibly) shouts.

It seems to work. The Black Swarm start formation dancing to In Your Memory in an attempt to overpower the Wilderless Mode but they fail. The sheer power of Where's The Revolution sends them away scuttling back to their Recoil albums and Depeche keep on pushing the box of auction winnings away.

Hang on - what's this? More Black Swarm attack, this time with flags. These are the hardcore Wilder fans and they are going to use semaphore to distract the band and get enough time to get their hands on a cymbal used on the Devotional tour and a pair on unwashed stage trousers. They start signalling the lyrics to The Landscape Is Chaning and it nearly works as Fletch starts humming along. Dave and Martin save the day, as Dave gets back up on his box and again starts singing at the flag waving women who by this point are demented with Wilder based lust. It works. 

The only way they can get out of here is by escaping in disguise. They laboriously glue their shorn beards back on and decide to make a break for it. The dancing of earlier has had an effect on them though and, just as they had done in the Everything Counts and Master And Servant videos, the Basildon Boyzone re-emerge and perform what can only be described as a spirited but generally very bad dance. This surely won't help anyone.

It doesn't. The Black Swarm hear this and attack again, this time together. A vicious attack is made by dance and semaphore. Depeche Mode look doomed - all those Wilder goodies are surely lost? Depeche Mode are made of tough stuff though and they stand firm, Martin with guitar in hand and Dave in his Global Spirit stage gear. They sing Where's The Revolution at the Wilder crazed hordes one more time and that sees them off. 

Victorious but still scared, the band re-apply their beards and head off to destroy the loot, pausing only to show off the flags they took from the Swarm, the spoils of a bitter war. One day, all sides of the Depeche Mode fanbase will learn to live together in peace.

The Formats

There were only two offical formats this time round - a CD single (above) and a double 12". 

Lessons had been learned from the last couple of singles it seems as there are some decent remixes this time round. There are five tracks on the CD, all remixes of Where's The Revolution:

1. Album Version

2. Ewan Pearson Remix - bleepy and quite enjoyable

3. Algiers Remix - a remix by the band Algiers who supported on some Global Spirit Tour dates. If you are a fan of that band, as I am , you'll like this. It's a nice 7" style take on the song with some great noises.

4. Terence Fixmer Remix - not up to much really

5. Autolux Remix - another 7" style remix in length. It's a bit grating in place.

The double 12" is a nice package. Sides A and C are pictured above. It comes in a sleeve with a wide opening rather than a gatefold.

Sides B and D have an M on them as you can see. There are nine tracks in all here and if we are to be thankful for anything, let's be thankful for the fact it's a million miles away from the dark horrors of the Should Be Higher 12". The tracks are:

Side A

1. Autolux Remix - see above

2. Pearson Sound Remix - the slowed down vocal on this makes this an updated version of It's Called A Heart (Slow Mix) and not much more

Side B

1. Algiers Click Farm Remix - a second Algiers appearance but sadly not up to the standard of the first one

2. Simian Mobile Disco Remix - producer James Ford's day job remix the song. It's a bit bland but picks up towards the end.

3. Pearson Sound Beatless Remix - if I'd wanted to hear Treefingers by Radiohead, I'd play Kid A.

Side C

1. Simian Mobile Disco Dub - a less punchy version of the remix from Side B

2. Terence Fixmer Spatial Mix - you know it's a bad remix when it takes the very rare appearance of a brief bit of the song it's remixing to make you remember what this is meant to be in the first place.

Side D

1. Patrice Baumel Remix - really rather good

2. Ewan Pearson Kompromat Dub - again not too bad.

The single was released on CD in Taiwan once again and popped up on a one track promo CDR too. Everything was available digitally of course.

There is a 7" single too however. It was made available with the German music magazine Musikexpress.

The cover explains what you have on it.

On the A-side, there is the album version of Where's The Revolution.

On the B-Side, we have Should Be Higher recorded live in Berlin on 25th and 27th November 2013. That doesn't mean it's two versions by the way - it's taken from those two shows.

Depeche Mode were back then and on good form. Spirit would soon follow and while I might not be as wildly enthusiastic about it as I was at the time, there is enough on that album to show that there is life in Depeche Mode yet.

The band set off on the huge Global Spirit Tour, leading to them having their biggest touring success yet and to me nearly breaking the internet and myself with the Global Spirit Tour Project.

There were two more singles to come from the album, and we'll go backwards to 2017 (ho ho) and have a look at the next single next time,

DEPECHE MODE - THE SINGLES 1981 TO 2021 PART 44: SUFFER WELL

 

The third single from Playing The Angel was a first for Depeche Mode - a single written by Dave Gahan. Other than the band's first three Vince Clarke penned singles, Martin had been in charge from See You to A Pain That I'm Used To.

Playing The Angel was of course the first Depeche album to feature songwriting contributions from Dave and Suffer Well is the strongest of the lot, just edging out Nothing's Impossible. 

With Suffer Well, we got another new song as a B-Side, another DVD, a plethora of promos, an XL12 and, thank every known God on the planet, Anton returned to video duties.  Here is the story of Suffer Well.

FROM THE BLACKEST ROOM I WAS TORN - SUFFER WELL

The Single

Suffer Well, BONG37, was released on 27th March 2006. As I mentioned above, the song was written by Dave with assistance from Christian Eigner and Andrew Philpott. 

The single didn't pick up many reviews, but the song grabbed a few people's attention when they were reviewing Playing The Angel. In The Irish Times, Sinead Gleeson said:

"On Suffer Well, Gahan’s voice is as deep and murky as the title – and sounds better than ever."

Ralph Moore in Mixmag was impressed with the song's role in the album's superb opening few tracks:

"The opening triple salvo of A PainThat I'm Used To, John The Revelator and Suffer Well is a musical call to arms not heard since Violator"

Q Magazine enjoyed it very much:

"Gahan contributes three songs which fit seamlessly. And while they remain obsessed with dysfunction and masochism, his Suffer Well sums up the album’s subtext of hard-won optimism. "I found treasure not where I thought/Peace of mind can’t be bought/I still believe," he croons, and you believe that the reformed rockpig means it. Playing The Angel is the year’s greatest, and most unlikely, comeback."

Reformed rockpig indeed. The Guardian meantime said:

"Suffer Well swirls into life with old-school analogue action, and maintains a breathless pace throughout"

Good reviews all round then really. The band did little to promote the song as they were midway through Touring The Angel but it did enter the charts at the relatively high position of number 12. There was to be no Top Ten however as it quickly fell to 38 and then to 91 and that was very much that.

Suffer Well is a tremendous song and still one of Dave's finest. It's perhaps one where there was a conscious effort to sound like Depeche Mode and it did just that. It fits perfectly on Playing The Angel, has wonderful lyrics and is just an all round cracker. While I Want It All flails around aimlessly, Suffer Well and Nothing's Impossible are dark, punchy tracks that do Dave great credit. Suffer Well featured on every gig on Touring The Angel complete with Martin playing bass guitar, a fluffy hatted, much less intimidating Peter Hook. It's not been played live since it's 124th and final outing in Athens on 1st August 2006, but would be a welcome surprise on the next world tour in 2026 or whenever.

The B-Side is the short but punchy Better Days, a Martin written song. It's yet another cracking B-side and a nice loud thing that passes two and a half minutes perfectly enjoyably. It's never been played live sadly.

The Video

Anton came back and he brought some special guests with him. You will recognise Jonathan Kessler and Dave's wife Jennifer but the real coup was when Anton persuaded Elton John and Dame Barbara Cartland to appear too. It was kept very quiet at the time, but those two celebrities were an unlikely couple and has asked Anton to make their official wedding video. Anton decided to make the theme of the video an examination of the things Dave would have to put himself through just to get through the big day where he was due to perform the first public airing of Hole To Feed.

Jonathan's role of Dave's driver during the 1996 issues was reprised and the video opens with him dropping Dave off on the wedding day. Dave, looking outstanding as he did throughout this period hops out of the car, takes his wedding ring off and then breaks into and robs a jewellery store. He'd forgotten to get a present for the happy couple so he nicks a necklace. That act of thievery sees Dave change, and he becomes a be-stubbled shifty looking type and leaves the store.

Jennifer appears as an angel in a shed called Heaven and tries to tempt Dave away from his life of crime. He's tempted alright but the sheer volume of traffic heading to the wedding makes it impossible to cross the road so Jennifer disappears and Dave gets on his way.

He then passes a shop called Future with its name written in what appears to be the Personal Jesus font, one of only three fonts Anton uses. The shop offers palm readings and, somewhat bewilderingly, has a sign in the window that says "We Sell Hell And Suffer Well." I have no idea what that means.

Dave takes a nosey and stares at this bewildering sign as the word HELL flickers....ah....it's an Anton metaphor. Dave has seen those before so he moves on desperate to get to the wedding, when the wind picks up. He takes a break in building marked Tavern and pulls up a chair at the bar.

He does what we all do at weddings - gets drunk, takes off his shirt (erm...) and starts dancing like nobody is watching. Luckily for Dave, nobody is watching and, dancing duly done, he's off, shirtless and hammered and on his way to serenade Elton and Dame Barbara.

By the time he gets outside, it is chucking it down so he makes haste to the wedding and arrives, drunker than planned. The bride and groom are standing in the windows of the DM Bridal Shop and they look lovely. Well, Fletch...sorry...Elton does. Martin, I mean Dame Barbara, looks utterly terrifying. A sing song occurs, Dave attempts Hole To Feed and then he stumbles off into, remarkably, a snow storm, looking like Devotional Dave and falls asleep.

But wait...it's a dream. He doesn't take the wedding ring off, doesn't turn into a mad version of himself and instead collects Jennifer from her shopping trip and drives away. None of the bad stuff happened and everything is fine.

Well, some of the bad stuff happened but that will be examined when we look at the third single from Sounds Of The Universe.

The Formats

Let's once again start with the promos as there are quite a few of them. 

The first is P12BONG37. It comes in a very nice sleeve as you can see.

It contains the same three tracks as 12BONG37.

There was a promo for the L12 too.

PL12BONG37 contains the same four tracks as its officially released friend.

Finally, as there was an XL 12", that needed an Xl 12" promo.

PXL12BONG37 features the same two tracks as XL12BONG37.

There are two promo CDs too. RCDBONG37 features the Single Version and Album Version of Suffer Well.

PCDBONG37, the Club Promo, is a different beast entirely. It lasts over an hour and features eleven remixes, nine of Suffer Well and two of Better Days. In the UK, a further 5 CD-R promos were available including an XL12BONG37 one that I don't have and would love you, yes you reading this just now, to send me. Thanks.

Onto the official releases. We once again got a limited, numbered 7" picture disc, BONG37. Side A (above) features Suffer Well (Metope Vocal Remix).

Side B contains the wonderful The Darkest Star (Monolake Remix).

Next we have the first 12",  12BONG37. The cover features Dave from the video and the lucky couple appear on the label. On Side A (above), we find two rather good remixes of Suffer Well - Tiga Remix and Tiga Dub. 

Side B contains the not as good as Side A Suffer Well (Narcotic Thrust Vocal Dub). The pictures on the sleeve and label have been swapped around to create a terrifying rear sleeve.

L12BONG37 has a fairly scary sleeve and an equally scary set of remixes throughout its grooves. Side A contains two remixes of Suffer Well - Metope Remix and Metope Vocal Remix. They're not great basically.

Side B features the superb M83 Remix of Suffer Well and the less superb and annoyingly named remix of Better Days, Basteroid "Dance Is Gone" Vocal Mix.

XL12BONG37 is glorious for a number of reasons. Firstly, it's an XL12 and that's pleasing. Secondly, it contains two remixes of The Darkest Star, Playing The Angel's brooding closing track. What a stupendous move that is. In a Twitter thing recently, Mute responded to my picture of the 12" saying that the catalogue number had provoked a "long discussion at Mute Towers." That sort of thing is what makes Mute Records the finest label there is. The A Side features the majestic Holden Remix of The Darkest Star. It is outstanding.

On the B-side we have the splendid The Darkest Star (Holden Dub).

The two CD singles and the DVD single again came in a box that you could obtain by emailing Mute.

The rear of the box tells you what is on each disc.

CDBONG37 is a simple enough thing. Two tracks - Suffer Well (Album Version) and Better Days - and that's just fine

LCDBONG47 is a six Suffer Well remix frenzy: Tiga Remix, Narcotic Thrust Vocal Dub, Alter Ego Remix, M83 Remix, Metope Vocal Remix and Metope Remix.

DVDBONG37 contains the video for Suffer Well, the Alter Ego Dub of the track and Better Days (Basteroid "Dance Is Gone" Vocal Mix).

A few tracks were available on digital only too: Suffer Well (M83 Instrumental), Suffer Well (Tiga Dub), Suffer Well (Single Version), Suffer Well (Alter Ego Dub) and Better Days (Basteroid "Dance Is Gone" Vocal Mix).

A promo CD was released in Denmark and Germany put out its versions of CDBONG37 and LCDBONG37. Greece released another hard to find promo and a Taiwanese badged CDBONG37 is out there too. Finally, there was no physical release in the US but there were two promo CDS, four promo CD-Rs and, a first I think, a promo DVD-R.

In a new twist, the song was also released in Simlish as the video below shows. It was for the game The Sims which I have no idea about. Had it been released for Football Manager, I would have been all for it:

What an intriguing single. A first in that it was Dave written, interesting remixes, a cool B-Side, the first Anton video in nearly a decade and an odd but glorious XL12". 

There was one more single to come from Playing The Angel and we'll look at that and its incredibly annoyingly named remixes next time.